


trouble

by Mutpz



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-17 06:04:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20616206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mutpz/pseuds/Mutpz
Summary: It's senior year and Richie Tozier thought he was done with The Losers Club. They were just a pleasant memory to him now. Then Eddie Kaspbrak came running back into his life, desperate for a reunion.





	trouble

Richie Tozier sat on a park bench near the canal. Being mid-autumn in Derry Maine, the snow was packed tightly into the ground. It was below freezing. Despite that, Richie had on only a thin pair of black skinny jeans and an aviator jacket. He shivered as he lifted his shaking pale hand to his mouth, taking a quick drag from his cigarette.

The only thought that seemed to be plaguing his mind at the moment was the fact that he was going to turn eighteen in five months.

_I’m going to be an adult soon,_ he thought.

He surely didn’t feel like a grownup. Richie didn’t even like adults. To him, every adult was malicious. Then again, the kids in Derry couldn’t be described as any better. Richie just didn’t like people. He didn’t trust anyone. Including himself.

Well, that was a lie. Richie only trusted one person at this point in his seemingly pointless life. And that person was the one and only Beverly Marsh.

Beverly Marsh was the only friend Richie had left. She understood him, better than anyone. They could relate to one another because of the similar traumas they've been through. Beverly’s mother had died when she was young and her father, God, Richie’s blood boiled at the mere thought of Alvin Marsh. He was a despicable person and an abuser. Richie envied Beverly’s strength and he respected her greatly for getting past the many years of abuse she endured while she had lived with her father. Now she lived with her aunt who had moved to Derry and into their old Apartment. Her aunt was kind enough and Beverly didn’t mind her, but Richie secretly wondered if that woman was right in the head. She had always seemed odd to Richie. But whatever, Beverly was happy now and that was all that mattered.

Richie didn't have abusive or dead parents. Though something happened to him in middle school that he never really got over. Something he had been trying to forget about. Though it always seemed to be lingering in the back of Richies thoughts, waiting to spring out at any given moment to make him relive the horrible incident. He didn't talk about it, not with anyone but Bev. And that included _you_.

Richie was supposed to be at lunch, but he couldn’t stand being there at the school. It was basically a mind-numbing prison that made Richie want to bang his head against his desk until there was nothing left but a pile of bloody mush. Beverly had always been better at school than he was. It wasn’t that he was stupid, on the contrary, he was one of the top students at Derry High. He had good grades but that didn’t mean he liked being there. Being forced to sit there all day and listen to lectures was not how Richie liked to learn.

Beverly never minded though, she could socialize and work towards her goal of getting into the state university. Then after that, she would get a well-paying job, a pretty house, a loving husband, and a family. Beverly could talk about her dreams for hours. It made Richie’s heartache. Beverly actually wanted to be successful in life. She always gave it her all and saw her problems and faced them head-on.

Running and running from problem to problem was just how Richie worked. Sure, he had interests. Doing voices and impersonations we’re Richies thing. Though his mother made it a constant reminder that it wasn’t a proper job and he would fail if he tried so he should become a doctor or a lawyer or something but Richie could never imagine doing something so fucking dull.

Speaking of his mother, she’d have a tantrum if he arrived at his next class late. He sighed, looking at his watch. Taking another quick drag of his cigarette and then putting it out. He climbed onto his bike and began riding back up towards the school. The heavy cold wind pushed past his cheeks and through his greasy black mop of hair. After his exhausting ten minutes, uphill travel he arrived back at the school. He chained his bike to the post and almost had a heart attack as he felt a pair of arms wrap around his small torso.

“Hey dumbass."

Richie immediately relaxed. He turned around to return the hug to his best friend.

“Hey bitcherly. Maybe don’t try to scare the shit out of me next time, huh?”

“Sorry.” Her short ginger hair shimmered in the pathetic sunlight that was supposed to be heating up the planet but its only purpose apparently was to be a light source because it was still freezing and Richie was sure his nuts might actually fall off by the time winter even starts. Beverly was wearing jeans and a wool pine green sweater. “I can make it up to you though.” She smiled brightly as she pulled off her backpack and pulled out a zip lock bag of-

“Holy shit! Weed brownies?” Richie’s face lit up ecstatically. Beverly nodded, grinning at how much Richie appreciated her gift. “Home-baked by yours truly.”

Richie threw them into his bag and then smiled back at her sheepishly. “Aw shucks, Bev.” He said pretending to act all modest. “You spoil me.”

“Yeah, maybe that’s why you act so entitled.” She bumped her shoulder with his as they walked into the school. “We should hang out again soon.”

“I’d like that a lot,” Richie admitted. It had been a while since they could hang out, the first semester was ending and finals we’re next month. The school was running them all rigid.  
Beverly gave him a toothy smile. “Cool, I’ll call. Gotta blast.”

“It’s a date.”

Richie watched as Beverly disappeared into the large crowd of students. He missed her already. He knew feeling too dependent on her was a problem. But he couldn't help it. He felt like his old self around her, joking and alive with personality.

_Man, I need some more friends_, Richie thought lamely.

Friends. That brought back some unwanted memories. Richie walked over to his locker and punched in the combination and grabbed his calculus textbook. Richie used to have more friends than Beverly. His first-ever friend was Stanley Uris. Then Bill Denbrough and Eddie Kaspbrak. Then came Ben Hanscom and Beverly Marsh. Lastly Mike Hanlon. The Losers Club. Thinking about them gave him an instant headache. Seeing the others around always hurt too. They had grown apart. Richie was pretty sure he had taken it the hardest. He had always had a hard time getting close to people, the fear of them leaving was a constant doubt in his mind, and eventually, they did leave. Except for Bev. Though the very thought of her leaving him would trigger an anxiety attack quicker than you can say “abandonment issues.”

Richie got into class and sat at his desk and pulled out a notebook. All he ever did was doodle at school. The teachers had long since stopped caring. Richie had proven to be a smart kid and always kept up even if he never paid attention in class. He always had too much time to think nowadays.

Thinking back, he was sure the losers club started drifting apart near the end of middle school. A small crack began to form in their friendship after the whole Ben/Bev/Bill schtick. Then high school and the drift became more obviously imminent. Then Bill and Richie fought over something stupid. Eddie was forced to stop hanging out with him because of his mother, Stanley’s schedule was packed and he was always busy, Mike was homeschooled and he worked all the time.

Everyone had their own shit going on, Richie understood that. It was always awkward if they had to talk now. Richie didn’t understand it one bit. How could this have happened? They had all once meant the world to each other and now they were strangers. Why didn’t anyone else try harder to salvage their friendship?

Richie sighed sadly. Thinking about it wouldn’t fix anything. It was best just to leave everything as it was. Only seven months left and then he would be moving the hell away from shit fucked Derry and off to college where he would be Scott free. He didn’t even know why he was going to college or what he’d do but there wasn’t really any other options. Plus, the college was supposed to be a dream or some shit. Coffee shops, seminars, cute girls and guys galore. Seemed pretty neat.

Then it was bells ringing, meaningless studies, forced interactions with people he couldn’t give a single shit about. The same old shit he did every day passed by in a blur until something different poked out at him.

And that something different was Eddie Kaspbrak walking towards him after the last class of the day ended.

Richie almost didn’t see him, well he saw him, who wouldn’t notice Eddie Kaspbrak walking through the halls? Richie just couldn’t believe Eddie would be trying to talk to him.

“_Richie_!” Eddie scowled after calling after him for the third time. “What’re you, deaf?”

Eddie stood in the same pose as he always had. Hand on his hip, attitude clear in his voice. Jeans, hoodie, fanny pack, combed blond hair, permanent pouty lips. Eddie was just so, Eddie. It amazed Richie to no end how people could still have the same traits and habits over the years.

“Yes, actually. Here’s some sign language for you too.” Richie threw up his middle finger. Something in the back of his brain told him he shouldn’t be so rude, Richie didn’t want Eddie to stop talking to him. But Richie had trouble with thinking before speaking, he only said things and had afterthoughts. It was just a habit he could never seem to shake.

“Oh, yeah, real mature Rich.” Eddie rolled his eyes. “I need to speak with you.”

Richie looked around. “Okay? I’m right here.”  
“No,” Eddie pulled Richie by his shirt sleeve out of the busy hallway to the secluded area behind the lockers. It was kind of hard for Eddie because of how short he was, especially when Richie was basically 70% leg. “In private, dumbass.”

Richie’s heart was racing. Talking to people besides his parents and Bev was a rare occurrence. It was exciting for actual human interaction but it also made him feel put on the spot. Having to instantly create a personality and mask to talk to him. It was exhausting.

“So,” Eddie sighed holding onto the straps of his book bag and tapping his foot nervously against the floor. “I need your help getting Ben and Beverly together.”

Richie raised his eyebrows. Eddie had barely said a word to him since freshman year, and here he was asking him for help setting their friends up?

“What makes you think I can help? What about Bill? Also, what makes you think Beverly even wants to date Ben? Beverly would have told me if she had a thing for him. You’d be surprised how often she talks about her future husband.” Richie exhaled. What the fuck.

“That’s exactly why I need your help!” Eddie exclaimed. “You’re close to her. Besides, I heard from Betty Ripsom who heard from Velma Daniels who overheard from Greta Bowie’s cousin that Bill is dating this girl in Ellsworth. Beverly and Ben have always had this electricity between them! We just have to get them to be around each other again and they can figure it out themselves. C’mon Richie, Ben and Bevvy could really use this.” Eddie pleaded. “Hell, maybe ‘The Loser’s Club’ could finally get back together!”

“What are we, a boy band?”

Richie already knew what his answer was. No way in hell was he missing an opportunity to get his friends back. This was a call to adventure!

Okay, Eddie’s enthusiasm might’ve rubbed off on Richie during their two-minute conversation.

The only problem was Beverly. Richie didn’t want her to be mad with him or make her feel like he was prostituting her so they could get his old friends back. Would Beverly still want to be friends with Richie if she had five other friends? Would the others even want to talk to Richie? It was going to be awkward for sure.

“I, uh, well…”

The hallway was empty except for them by this point. Richie felt trapped.

“Pleeease? It’s for the benefit of the party.”

“Why do you care? You’ve never even tried to speak to me before now. You have to have some other motive in mind besides trying to get everyone to be all chummy again.” Richie felt sick. He knew he was being unreasonable thinking that everyone had some ulterior motive aimed to hurt him. Eddie wouldn’t do that to him. Would he?

“Ouch," Eddie said in mock concern.  
"You really don’t trust me anymore?”

“I don’t even know you anymore. You could be a totally different person than you were before.” This entire conversation was too uncomfortable for Richie. His brutal honesty was sure to push Eddie away for good this time.

“Well, I could say the same about you. And yet I came after you asking for help anyway.” Countered Eddie.

“Touchè.”

An awkward silence ensued. Richie wanted to argue with Eddie, express his frustration that the none of the losers cared. They didn’t try hard enough. That’s why they were here now. But the fault didn’t all lay with Eddie. They had all contributed to the ghosting of one another. Now it was up to them if they wanted to fix it. Eddie had been willing to take the first step. Now it was Richie’s turn to trust his childhood friend.

“Okay,” Richie said finally breaking the maddening quiet void that stood between him and Eddie. “How about we catch up? Since we apparently don’t know jack shit about each other.”

Eddie’s eyes lit up. “Uh yeah, yeah that works!” He had a huge smile on his face now.  
“Does your place work? After school?”

Richie gave him a crooked smile. Eddie had always had this effect on him. His smile was contagious, it was basically a death sentence.

“Yup that works.” Richie threw his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on this feet. He felt like a parent watching his toddler run around in excitement. He wondered when this switch had happened. He used to be the hyperactive annoying class clown. Richie was still ADHD but he had pills for that now. Also, nobody to talk to. Eddie used to be the ‘mom friend.’ Always paranoid about germs and forcing others to be more conscious of their hygiene. There are still similarities, yes, but now things were different. Different different different. When? How? Why? Who decided or caused this to happen? Richie couldn’t have been the only one noticing these changes. Did Eddie think he was weird now? How did Richie even know the others would like him now? Richie had changed the most, that was obvious. Everyone even looked different. Beverly wasn’t though, Beverly had always been Beverly. Or maybe Richie just didn’t notice any changes because they had been together the entire time?

Richie took a deep breath. He wasn’t going to overthink things to the point of a panic attack right in front of Eddie. Not after he just got him back.

“Cool.” Eddie was saying. “See you tomorrow then?”

“Yup.” Richie grabbed Eddie’s hand on impulse. A shadow of his old, funnier self peeked through the cracks for a moment. “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” He grinned. Eddied pulled away but giggled. “Goodbye, Richie.”

Then it was only Richie left alone in the hallway.

The events that had just taken place started to replay in Richie's head. Tomorrow he would have Eddie Kaspbrak in his house. It felt almost unreal.

Oh shit, he needed to clean his room.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic I've written in almost two years so I'm rusty but I hope you guys like it :)


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